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The kitchen is where we naturally congregate during parties – it just seems to happen! With everything at hand on kitchen countertops, in the fridge, or on the stove, everyone is just drawn to be together where all the action takes place. So why not remodel your kitchen with entertaining in mind? Consider choosing a beautiful kitchen island as the icing on the cake to an entertainer’s kitchen: it provides a central spot that is not only the perfect spot for coming together, but also a functional space for cooking, storage, and catching up with friends and family. At Moss Building & Design, we love when our customers incorporate kitchen islands into their kitchen remodel design, and especially when those islands are the perfect fit for entertainers! Here are some of our favorite beautiful kitchen islands:

Massive Kitchen Island in Oak Hill, Virginia

We love a good party, and these Oak Hill homeowners clearly do too. When they remodeled their home, they deliberately chose to create an open concept kitchen and family room area on their main level with the idea that it would provide plenty of space for guests to be together without feeling crowded. Installing this beautiful kitchen island to be the kitchen’s focal point was deliberate. It’s spacious enough to lay out a full buffet but also perfect for a casual, last minute get together with friends. It has seating, storage, and a sink, perfect for prep of meals or drinks.

 

Stunning Double Kitchen Islands in Fairfax Station, Virginia

No, you’re not seeing double! These Fairfax Station homeowners wanted to have a grand space for entertaining, and that included the installation of two kitchen islands. Both have ample storage and seating options, while one also includes a pet watering station for the family’s dogs. The effect of having two islands is gorgeous – we can only imagine the set up as this family entertains!

 

Central Kitchen Island in Arlington, Virginia

This Arlington home remodel included a kitchen bump out – the homeowners purposefully chose to have a large, central kitchen island to serve as a gathering place for their family and friends. It houses storage, seating, a wine fridge, and a microwave drawer, so it essentially has everything you need for entertaining. It is big enough to host game night or to set out a taco bar!

Unique Kitchen Island in Reston, Virginia

This beautiful and unique kitchen island in Reston was designed by one of our Moss Building & Design experts, who created the diagonal “X” lines to bring a whimsical look and feel to the kitchen island. The kitchen island itself has plenty of seating for the family but is also perfect for entertaining, as it connects the dining room to the family room, and is placed centrally near the cookstove.

 

Gorgeous Double Kitchen Islands in Centreville, Virginia

There’s no shortage of space in this Centreville kitchen remodel and our homeowners took full advantage of that fact to put in not one, but two, gorgeous kitchen islands. The islands utilize the space at hand perfectly, providing plenty of counter space for entertaining purposes, but also plenty of seating options at both islands. The curved portion of one kitchen island lends itself to maximizing the space and allows for plenty of room for people to move around and through the kitchen.

So have you considered a kitchen remodel (with a kitchen island) this year? If so, and you need some inspiration, these remodels are certainly among the most beautiful in our portfolio, especially for homeowners who love to entertain. Contact us at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com or call us at 703.961.7707 to learn more about our kitchen remodels.

Kitchen design and remodeling trends come and go: some remain popular for many years while others fizzle out quickly. No matter if the trend is short or long term, Moss Building & Design experts strive to remain at the forefront of the best and most current kitchen design trends. Learn more about what our designers are seeing for 2020 and beyond:

White Kitchen Cabinetry

All-white kitchen cabinetry is timeless and can make your space look brighter, cleaner, and larger. If you are keen on a more formal look in the kitchen, consider dark or gold-toned finishes and handles, formal lighting fixtures, and traditional cabinet doors and drawers. Dark floors are becoming a popular trend again and can make white cabinetry or lighter walls stand out in a striking contrast.

In this Northern Virginia kitchen, a moveable island on smooth caster-wheels features a thick, gorgeous butcher block top, complementing rich, dark, wide-plank hardwood floors and a lush wood top on the bay-window seat (featuring hidden storage). The colored base of the island was custom ordered to complement a similar shade on the walls, creating a warm and inviting place to work and play.

Add a Pop of Color to Your Kitchen Remodel

With white and neutral tones dominating kitchen design, a current trend is to add a pop of color in the island cabinetry, throughout the backsplash, in textured window dressings, on seating coverings, or inside glass-front cabinets.

Sherwin Williams announced 45 trend colors for its 2020 Color Forecast intended to lessen “the noise that seems to constantly surround us all while providing joy and serenity” and focus to the mind, body, and spirit. To find a color perfect for your personality, log onto www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-collection/color-forecast/2020/.

Open Dining Room Adjacent to the Kitchen

In 2020, kitchen design will continue to include the conversion of unused rooms, like a formal dining room, to open up space for more practical use. However, a current trend is for homeowners to retain a large dining table to accommodate their growing families, returning children from college, multigenerational living, and holiday celebrations. More and more, Moss Building & Design is working with homeowners to transform their enclosed dining area by taking down the wall separating it from the kitchen, and, thus, incorporating it into the entire layout of the kitchen during their kitchen remodel.

Additionally, long-extended kitchen island bars allow for plenty of seating, creating a less formal dining space with more accessibility (and easier conversation over meal prep!).

Revamped Mudrooms Created Next to Kitchen

On the other side of the kitchen, the trend is moving towards converting an original laundry room into a multi-purpose mudroom. Often times, the mudroom provides direct access to the car where groceries are unloaded and where children drop all their sports equipment and book bags. Stopping the mess immediately after opening the door and stepping into the house gives parents a fighting chance to keep the kitchen a clutter-free zone.

Concealed or Decorative Range Hoods

Although many homeowners still prefer the convenience of a microwave and vent above their gas or electric range, a hot kitchen design trend for 2020 is to incorporate the hood as a decorative statement piece or to hide it within cabinetry for a more streamlined look.

Farm Fresh, Rustic Farmhouse

American design has embraced farmhouse design and all its eclectic and nostalgic features, which ensures it will remain a much-sought after style into the next decade. Define your space with exposed wooden beams – whether natural or stained; darker wood base or island cabinets, natural stone or tile backsplash, open grainy wood shelving to display an heirloom coffee grinder, egg crate, sterling tea pot, or antique collectibles, or a farm-style kitchen sink. Not everything must be farm style, but it should flow in a cohesive approach, so consider a few wooden furniture pieces that match the color of your ceiling beams or wood island.

Mix & Match Metals

Gone are the days where everything in a room needs to match. Thankfully, 2020 kitchen trends have given way to colorful cabinets with gold handles and elegant light pendants showcasing black metal with glass shades.

In this Northern Virginia kitchen, three gold chandeliers adorn the long island, stainless steel faucet and cabinet handles complement the gas range, and wood bar stools with white fabric and brass tacks contrast with the white cabinetry decorated with blue-and-white treasures.

Double Ovens & Built-in Microwave Cabinets

There are so many more options to house microwaves now than when they were originally introduced as a countertop feature (taking up valuable prep-workspace). Microwaves can be placed in pull out drawers, set inside built-in microwave-specific base cabinets, or included in a double-oven wall-unit with options for a conventional oven, convection oven, warming drawer, or microwave.

Recessed, Flush-Mounted Pantries

Almost every home has hidden space that can be transformed to accommodate additional features in a remodel. In 2020, kitchen designers will seek out nooks to recess pantries and large appliances in a flush-mount to drywall so that sightlines are clean and the footprint provides as much space to move around in as possible.

In this Northern Virginia home, space under the stairs was re-purposed to create a niche the perfect depth to house a Sub-Zero refrigerator, full-size freezer, and recessed cabinets. A crown plate and crown molding were mounted directly onto the drywall, as opposed to the face of the cabinet, and returned at the corners and end-runs slightly to create the same molding profile throughout the kitchen.

21st Century Butler Pantries

A popular kitchen design trend in 2020 is a separate butler’s pantry, with a mini-fridge to house beverages and chilled wine, a stylish countertop to offer appetizers or desserts, and cabinetry for glasses and stemware. Butler’s pantries, once hidden in the back and used to store polished silver, china, and larger serving dishes, are now out in the open, inviting guests to make themselves right at home with a cocktail or nibble. They can be as elaborate or as quaint as your entertaining style, but all will showcase a special design feature.

In this Northern Virginia kitchen, board-and-batten is weaved throughout the home along the walls. The backsplash to the butler pantry or bar area also mirrors the design to create flow throughout the open space.

Geometric Kitchen Tile

Homeowners and designers are having more fun with creative, geometric tile. In 2020, it will be a growing design feature in bathroom inserts: covering bathroom and mudroom floors and installed as backsplashes. In this Northern Virginia kitchen remodel, a fanciful, vibrant backsplash is installed above the range as well as along a support wall to create flow throughout the expanded kitchen.

Stowed-Away Technology

Organization and functionality dominate kitchen, bath, and closet systems throughout home remodels, and storing technology and cords in particular is no different. According to Mobile World Live, it is estimated the number of devices per person will hit 4.3 by 2020. So, it is no surprise that a fast-growing kitchen design trend for 2020 is designated kitchen cabinet or drawers designed specifically to house and charge personal devices.

In this Northern Virginia kitchen remodel, these convenient, flush mounted, pop-up electrical outlets are hidden under and on the countertop.

Are you interested in learning about future kitchen design trends? Keep an eye out for photos of painted ceilings, wallpaper, and more options in graphic design tile. Ready to begin your own kitchen remodel? Contact us today at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com or call us at 703.961.7707 to schedule a free in-home estimate.

Master suite additions are more than just a master bedroom and bath; while the latest trends in home design are about functionality, a bump up, or pop top addition is an ideal opportunity to create a master suite designed specifically around your personal lifestyle. Ideally, your master suite addition will be a beautifully designed sanctuary organized perfectly for you.

Master Suite Additions With Organized Closets and Planned Storage

Walk-in closets are a staple: they provide easy access to seasonal clothes, plenty of storage for off-season clothing, and a place to change without getting in the way of someone else. A more popular design trend is ‘his’ and ‘hers’ closets, or two separate closets with one for each occupant of the master suite.

Ask yourself how you store your seasonal clothes: on hangers, folded on shelves, or hooks? Do you keep your shoes in your master closet or in the hall closet by the door? Where are handbags and luggage stored? Do you store accessories and jewelry in the closet or a dresser? Determine the best use of your closet before designing the space so that it meets your specific needs.

Although you may want to access the door to your closet directly from the bathroom, moisture builds up while taking a shower…if you like it steamy, that’s wonderful. But, moisture is not good for clothes. Consider walling in your shower with glass or move your closet doorway off the main bathroom.

Convenient Laundry Near your Master Suite Addition

Adding a laundry area adjacent to the master bath is a popular trend these days, especially if other bedrooms are on the same floor. With plumbing in close proximity, it’s easy enough to include a convenient area for laundry! Honestly, who loves lugging laundry up and down the stairs?

Abundant Windows In Your Master Suite Addition

Whether or not you have privacy from your neighbors will play a big role in window placement and size. If you live in an area where mature trees abound or with plenty of greenspace, you may want to design your master suite with large windows overlooking nature, maximizing natural light and minimizing the need for privacy blinds.

Find The Best Location For Your Master Suite Addition

When determining the best location for your master suite addition, consider where noise issues are in your home. Is your home secluded from main traffic or in a densely populated neighborhood? How often are the front and back doors used? Do your children and their friends hang out in the basement or in the main family room? When your HVAC runs at night will it disturb you in your new master suite?

Stylish Amenities For Your Master Suite in Northern VA

Although master suite additions vary in size and amenities, attention to detail for planning purposes and functionality is crucial.
Do you plan to age-in-place? If so, a curbless shower should be installed now to avoid redoing your shower again. Perhaps consider glass shower walls to fill your bathroom with more light! Would you like heated floors? How about a heated towel rack next to a deep soaking tub? Would you like a small area for a coffee pot or mini-frig in your master suite, to eliminate climbing stairs while relaxing?

When designing a master suite, list all your desires up front. Rather than assume it’s a cost-effective idea to add a deck once you have saved money, you’ll need door access and landscape underneath no matter when you add on. We recommend including all your wants up front rather than in phases, which saves you money as you won’t need to re-landscape or rework the siding and outside infrastructure to add a door later.

According to Houzz, double sinks are growing in popularity as well. Seventy-eight percent of renovating homeowners upgrade their sink base or vanity, and of this group, 69% are choosing a two-sink setup. Do you want a free-standing tub or large shower with dual showerheads and body sprayers? French doors or barn-style sliding doors? Mosaic, subway or herringbone pattern tile?

Smart Technology in Your Suite Addition

If you find baths relaxing, imagine soaking in a deep tub of bubbles with a fire and TV in the master suite! Or, if you prefer steam showers, imagine de-stressing after a long day at work in a private, self-enclosed steam room with music and lights. Smart technology is always evolving to make our homes more personalized. With the click of a button or a timer, blinds can be opened or closed, lights turned on or off, and now, showers turned on and off to warm water to a specific temperature.

Practicality in Your Suite Addition

One of the most important considerations when adding a master suite is practicality. Who is using the master bathroom and closet and at what time: alone or while another is getting ready? Are you on standby between showering and dressing to ensure your children make the bus and the dog has been walked? If so, you’ll want to have door access near the action. If not, then you can opt for a more private bedroom or bathroom entrance or location in the back of the house.

Moss Building & Design is Northern Virginia’s premier master suite addition contractor, as well as specializing in kitchen, bath, basement, and other addition remodels. Contact MOSS at 703.961.7707 for a free one-hour estimate to talk about your new master suite addition.

Sometimes we just get used to the way things look, like too-cluttered counters, or messy mudrooms, or overflowing closets. But now is a great time to set yourself some organizational goals for your home – and we think, and hope, that by implementing them and sticking to them, these tips will help keep you organized all year long!

Purge Your Closets of Stuff

Imagine everything in your closet having a place – and you being able to find those special shoes or accessories easily! Go through your closets, and pull out clothes that you haven’t worn in six months – it’s likely you’ll never wear them again. Give those clothes to an organization – there are so many that will literally come to your home and whisk your old stuff away. Re-organize your closet with an organization system or do it yourself – use shoe racks or hanging shoe bags, organize clothes by color or season, and always fold your jeans or sweaters and put them in the same place after being cleaned. Do your best to never leave clothing or other items on the floor.

Clear the Clutter from Your Kitchen

Nothing screams “too much stuff” than a cluttered kitchen, especially a cluttered countertop or kitchen island! Take a long, hard look at what’s on your counter – do you need to store those small kitchen appliances on your counter or would putting them in your pantry or storage room make more sense? If you have duplicate items (toaster oven and toaster, slow cooker and multi-cooker), think about whether you really need both. Install sliding racks into drawers for pots and pans and plasticware. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief when you find you have more space, and also realize that you had too much stuff in the first place.

Mudrooms for Messy Stuff, Not Messy People

If you’re fortunate enough to have a mudroom, you know how convenient it is for storage of your family’s coats, shoes, bags, and everything in between. But sometimes, and we all know this to be true, our family members just toss items on the floor or wherever they happen to fall. Make 2020 the year that you implement some organizational rules! If there aren’t hooks for everyone, install them. If there’s not a shoe rack, buy one. If no one remembers which area is theirs, make it a daily chore. It’ll stick eventually!

Setting small goals is a great way to start to organize your home for long-term success. Implement one new system each week to get started, and you’ll find that everyone will start playing along. And in the end, your household will function more smoothly. If you find that you need some help along the way to home organization nirvana, contact MOSS at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com or 703.961.7707 – we can help you re-design any room in your home to make it the well-run machine you have been dreaming about.

So you’ve made the decision to remodel your home with the addition of a kitchen bump out – congratulations! And, you’ve already decided to employ a design build company to manage your remodel. Hiring a design build company gives you the comfort of knowing you will be working with a “one stop shop”, where all the professionals you need for your remodel are under the same roof.

Moss Building & Design has been the premier design build company in Northern Virginia for over 18 years, and has the portfolio and thousands of satisfied customers to back this claim up. From our vast experience in the industry, we know the high standards that we uphold for ourselves as a design build company, and we’ve put together these five things to consider when you begin the process of hiring a design build company for your kitchen bump out remodel:

Details & Process: Will the design build company detail the kitchen bump out remodel process step by step in the initial contract?

When gathering multiple quotes from design build companies, it’s often impossible to truly compare them to one another, as a standard for contracting quotes doesn’t exist. It’s more important to understand how a potential design build company handles accuracy of the project scope upfront as well as contract deviations throughout your kitchen bump out remodel.

At MOSS, we provide all of our customers with a fixed-cost, flexible contract that’s based on your individual project. And, we spend a lot of time upfront to provide you with an accurate scope and cost which dramatically reduces home improvement budget “cost creep”. We highly recommend that you ensure that all areas of the project are outlined in the estimate, so you don’t get hit with hidden costs that might pop up after you are already under contract.

In-House Work: Will the design build company keep all the work under one roof?

You should feel comfortable knowing that everyone on the design build company’s staff that is tasked to manage your specific kitchen bump out remodel are knowledgeable about your remodel from top to bottom, start to finish. MOSS is a true design build company – all of the individuals that are on your kitchen bump out remodel, from the sales consultant, to the designer, to the project manager, are all together in our offices and communicate regularly not only with you but with each other.

At MOSS, we encourage open lines of communication with our customers. We adhere to strict internal standards when it comes to hiring anyone who works for us, as well as how we select and manage the individuals coming to your home to perform the work. For example, every worker in your home that’s hired by Moss Building & Design is background-checked and has a MOSS photo ID. You should always feel reassured that any design build company cares about your comfort level as much as you do!

Schedule & Budget:

Will the design build company keep to the agreed schedule and to the proposed budget?

Asking the right questions of your design build company up front can save you a lot of heartache down the road. We recommend the following initial questions to get a feeling of what is entailed in a design build company’s management of your kitchen bump out remodel schedule and its budget:

• Can you give me a rough breakdown or timeline of how my project will progress?
• How will I keep track of everything I need to do? How can I remember the selections I’ve made?
• When do I need to pay for my remodeling project?
• Who do I call if there’s a question or problem with my project?
• Are there going to be times when essential areas of my home will be out of commission? How long can I expect that to be?
• Do I have to get involved with permits and inspections?
• Will your company take care of the trash and debris disposal?
• How long does a typical remodeling project of this scale take?

Homeowners should be concerned with what the project schedule looks like, who’s taking care of permits and inspections, and who is the main point of contact.

MOSS provides all of this to our customers via our site, safety, and communication plans, accessible 24/7, along with your project schedule and any other project-related items, using Moss Online, our proprietary project management tool. Because each home is different and every homeowner has individual needs and expectations, we ensure transparency and flexibility with the project schedule, communication, and more. Our team of project managers, designers, and carpenters takes you through every step of the remodeling process from ideation to completion.

What happens if your project goes over budget? MOSS has a very low ‘surprise rate’ due to our due diligence prior to starting construction on your home. If we do encounter something outside of the original plan, your project manager will discuss this with you in detail. An email summary and your personalized communication plan outlines how we will communicate back and forth with you throughout the duration of your remodel.

Experience: What is the design build company’s experience with kitchen bump outs? Do they have references you can call?

If you have trouble visualizing how your kitchen bump out remodel might look, check an online or in-person project portfolio. See if past remodels include a project similar to what you’re asking for. This makes it easier for the remodeler to understand your design vision, and you’re ensured that they have done it before. One of MOSS’s specialities is kitchen remodels and has been so since our company’s establishment in 2001.

Many homeowners have a fear of smarmy contractors and sneaky contracts, so it’s critical to find a remodeling company with a good reputation. Look for positive reviews on consumer websites like Angie’s List, social media, a Better Business Bureau accreditation, industry news updates, relevant blogs, and newsletters on their website.

At MOSS, we are proud of our 98% customer satisfaction rating and will always provide references for potential customers who request them.

Safety & Insurance: Is the design build company licensed and insured?

Undertaking a kitchen bump out remodel is a big step for anyone and requires individuals being in your home for potentially long stretches of time. It’s crucial that you ask these questions of the design build companies that you are interviewing:

• Does your business carry a current Class ‘A’ Contractor’s License? When does it expire?
• How long has your company been in business?
• Is your business currently licensed in my county?
• Does your business carry liability insurance and workman’s compensation? If so, can you provide proof?
• Does your company have a full-time customer service representative?
• Are you a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry?

At Moss Building & Design, all of our team members in the field are background checked, photo identifiable, and badged before they step foot on a project. Our sales consultants and designers aren’t commissioned and have the ultimate flexibility to craft a solution for you without inherent conflict. And, of course, MOSS can answer “yes” to all of the above questions.

Ready to Begin Your Kitchen Bump Out Remodel?
Hiring a design build company for your kitchen bump out remodel is a smart decision – but choosing the best contractor for your home shouldn’t be taken lightly. Consider these five things before making your final decision, and please, contact MOSS, Northern Virginia’s premier design build company, at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com or at 703.961.7707, for a free estimate.

A kitchen’s purpose has evolved over time – changing from a place with the singular purpose of preparing meals to how it is regarded today: as the true hub of a home, where not only is food prepared, but families gather for meals, entertain family and friends, and enjoy spending time together over a leisurely cup of coffee.

If you share this updated vision for your kitchen, and realize that your current layout doesn’t easily allow for these activities, perhaps it’s time to consider a kitchen bump out – with a kitchen remodeling contractor such as Moss Building & Design, which has the experience and design build expertise to create the perfect home remodel to suit your family and its needs. Some possible reasons for you to consider a kitchen bump out might include the following:

Better Entertaining Options with a Kitchen Bump Out

Some older homes were built with many rooms to designate the purpose behind each, such as the dining room and kitchen. Today, many homeowners choose to remodel their home to create more open concept layouts, which not only make a home feel larger, but creates a sense of togetherness. A kitchen bump out in your home addition plan would also allow for better entertaining options – think about it: having room to move around, more interesting seating options, and a sense of flow from room to room creates a fun atmosphere where all your guests are connected and not cut off from one another.

Kitchen Bump Outs Provide More Attractive Family Meal Settings

Adding a bump out to your kitchen allows for the old adage, “too many cooks in the kitchen”, to feel like a more positive situation! More counter space for meal prep and cooking, more room for a long kitchen island for casual family meals, and increased room for an eat-in area creates a more attractive family meal setting. More elbow room is especially important as families grow and children get older! A good home addition contractor can help you design a space that works as your family changes over time.

Have you spent years cooking in the kitchen, serving dishes and cleaning up and running back and forth…and realize after the fact that you’ve spent your evening not being with your family? Having a new bumped out kitchen solves this issue beautifully – it allows for the cook(s) and cleaner(s) to all essentially be in the same room, together, all the time. Not only does this encourage more conversation, and keep your family on the same page, it reminds everyone that helping with meals can and should be a group effort. Many hands make light work, after all!

If you’ve been considering a kitchen bump out for some time, now’s the time to begin. Whatever your reasons for wanting to begin the process, getting started is one step further towards the kitchen remodel of your dreams. Contact us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com or 703.961.7707 to start the conversation.

Quite possibly, you’ve been decorating your kitchen for the holidays in the same way for years – using a combination of hand me down items, pieces you’ve picked up here or there, or during a post-holiday clearance shopping trip. Well, maybe it’s time to up the ante – especially if you’ve gone through a recent home remodel, which transformed your kitchen from just okay to high end stunning! If so, check out these decorating style options we’ve come up with to really bring the wow factor into your high end kitchen and make it the entertaining hot spot of the season!

Traditional Kitchen Decor for the Holidays

If you love the old time, classic holiday songs and prefer a vintage color palette, then perhaps a traditional decor is perfect for your high end kitchen. Red and green with touches of gold help showcase your preference to old-fashioned and traditional decor. Big bows, lots of holly, and sweet nods to the past (like strung popcorn!) can be the way to go if you love the traditional look.

 

Image courtesy of http://www.goldenboysandme.com/2018/11/holiday-housewalk-2018.html?showComment=1543432531622#c6171442238960548493

Rustic Kitchen Decor for the Holidays

When we think of rustic, we think the outdoors – why not bring part of the season inside with your high end kitchen holiday decor? Picture lots of green, brown, icicles, and snow – beautiful, natural wreaths, red-checked flannel, animal decor like horses and other odes to the outdoors. Rustic kitchen decor makes one feel cozy, as if they want to sit at your table with you and share a cup of hot cocoa.

 

Image courtesy of https://anastasiablogger.com/decor/farmhouse-kitchen-ideas/

Modern Kitchen Decor for the Holidays

When you think of modern design, you generally conjure up images of clean lines, monochromatic colors, and minimal flair. In fact, modern holiday decor can have all these qualities and also feel festive. In a high end kitchen, the holiday decor will be monochromatic in texture and color — but here and there is a splash of color to draw the eye and make a statement. This could be a gorgeous holly wreath or these adorable red ornamental balls here and there.

 

Image courtesy of https://www.instagram.com/p/B0HETtolqLw/?igshid=q91g9o1dx3pz

Minimalist Kitchen Decor for the Holidays

Minimalism is a wonderful way to embrace the holidays but without the cluttered look and feel that comes from putting out too many pieces of decor. A minimalist high end kitchen might showcase just a few items that are of high personal value to the homeowner, and keep everything to a specific theme or color (all silver pieces, for example). Doing a minimalist holiday makes for an easy, post-holiday clean up, which is also a draw!

 

Image courtesy of https://houseandhome.com/gallery/traditional-kitchens-with-timeless-appeal/

Fun & Unique Kitchen Decor for the Holidays

If you don’t fit into any of the categories above…that’s okay! There’s no need to pigeonhole yourself – if you like bright pink trees with silver tinsel, you should go for it. The holidays are about celebrating! We love the unique decor pictured here!

 

Image courtesy of https://summeradams.com/pink-christmas-kitchen/

However you choose to decorate your high end kitchen for the holidays, rest assured it will be beautiful and a reflection of your personal design style and taste. Bringing friends and family together over the holidays is the end goal, and we’re positive that your kitchen decor will be well received and result in a fun, festive, and lovely gathering.

Interested in updating your kitchen for next year’s holiday season? Contact us at Hello@MossBuildingAndDesign.com or call us at 703.961.7707 to start the conversation!

Trends come and go – clothing styles, phone apps; you name it, it’s here and gone. But what about kitchen design and renovation trends? Clearly those trends impart a more permanent impact on a home renovation! The kitchen designers at Moss Building & Design, one of Northern Virginia’s best kitchen contractors, share the latest in hot kitchen renovation trends that work well with classic choices for the long-term – resulting in beautiful kitchens with zero regrets.

Kitchen Renovation Trends: Design Trends

The trend towards an all-white kitchen has been around a while, and continues to be hot! Our kitchen designers also see a pull towards light grey tones for both cabinetry and wall color.

A very trendy look in today’s kitchen design world is the use of different colored cabinets on the perimeter of the kitchen versus on the center island. The complementary look is bold and interesting and creates a room with a truly unique look.

Another trend that is hot is installing kitchen backsplash tile from the countertop all the way to the ceiling – looking remarkably like exposed brick, this trend is both a throwback and a current favorite.

Kitchen Renovation Trends: Material Trends

Having access to many materials options can be a bit overwhelming. Our kitchen designers use their expertise to guide decision making and help choose what works best for your lifestyle. What’s on-trend for kitchen countertops and other selections these days?

For kitchen countertops, our kitchen designers see a trend towards the use of quartz – a natural stone mined throughout the world. We love the look of it as each slab is different and creates a look that is beautifully unique.

Trendy kitchen design material selections are also leaning towards the use of polished nickel for faucets, handles, and pulls.

Kitchen Renovation Trends: Functionality

Multi-tasking is something that we all strive to do well. What if your kitchen was more multi-functional, making your prepping/cooking multi-tasking even more efficient?

One of the ways our kitchen designers see functionality at work is via the microwave. Gone are the days that the microwave sits on a countertop or is mounted under cabinets. The trend now is to have microwaves installed as pull-outs from kitchens’ center islands. We love how it maximizes space and allows for a less clunky kitchen look and feel.

Another hot kitchen trend right now is the use of cabinets to hide appliances and, even more fun, walk-in pantries. A wall of kitchen cabinets creates a seamless look and feel to a kitchen – clean, calm, and beautiful all at the same time.

The Best Kitchen Contractors in Northern Virginia

What are your thoughts about these kitchen renovation and design trends? Would you incorporate any of them into your kitchen remodel? Our Moss Building & Design kitchen designers strive to stay current on trends but also to incorporate classic choices — all combined with our customers’ personal preferences. Ready to start your kitchen renovation? Call us at 703.961.7707 or email us at Hello@MossBuildingandDesign.com.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Sunroom additions can be a practical and affordable way to add more living space to your home and most home buyers will pay a little extra for a home with the added space. Here are a few reasons to consider adding a sunroom to your home.

Versatility

A sunroom doesn’t have to only be a space for lounging around or reading a book on a cold winter day. Your home remodel contractor can help you create a space that meets your family’s needs. Maybe a play area for the kids, additional dining space, a craft room, or a home office. More importantly, you can easily modify the space as your needs change.

Relax in Your Sunroom

Yes, a sunroom can be a relaxing getaway, to rest and re-fuel. It may also help with a particular type of depression…Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. This type of depression occurs when your mood is affected by sunlight. If you are considering a home remodel, you may want to think about a sunroom addition as well. A sunroom can do wonders for this disorder. No matter the season, taking in the extra light in a sunroom can increase your vitamin D, lift your spirits, and boost your mood.

Bring the Outdoors Inside

The weather doesn’t always make it comfortable to enjoy the great outdoors. When you add a sunroom to your home, the large windows will help to make it feel as if you are spending your time outside…without having to deal with rain or worse snow, extremely warm temperatures, or those pesky bugs.

Affordability

Sunrooms are typically an affordable way to add extra square footage to your home. If you’re like most of us, you’ve spent a good portion of your life denying yourself the things you really want in order to focus on your family, college fund, or retirement savings. A sunroom is a great opportunity that can serve as a real estate investment and an investment in your happiness as well.

Sunrooms Add Value

Any time you can add square footage and living space to your home, your value will automatically increase. The added real estate value will almost always outweigh the cost of adding the sunroom.
Sunrooms increase your health and happiness, can be used in a variety of different ways, and have the potential to both earn you more money and save you money along the way.

Northern Virginia’s Best Sunroom Contractor

Ready to start your sunroom renovation? Now is the perfect time to get started to ensure you’re enjoying your new sunroom next summer. Our team of expert designers is ready to help you bring your sunroom remodel to life. Contact us at 703-961-7707 or hello@mossbuildinganddesign.com.